Feet of Clay

Representatives of an interstellar trading outfit establish an outpost on a remote, low‑gravity world and become entangled when villagers interpret a serious injury as evidence that their gods have turned against them. One agent defies regulations to provide medical aid while his colleague weighs protocol, and their inquiry exposes tensions among native ritual, practical help, and the limits of divine authority. The story follows their efforts to resolve the crisis, examining how bureaucratic rules, cultural misunderstanding, and the disclosure of a deity's fallibility complicate first contact and moral responsibility.